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| Anger won't make us leave Leek, say religious preachers | |
| (5 months later) | |
| The preachers regularly stand along Derby Street in Leek town centre | The preachers regularly stand along Derby Street in Leek town centre |
| The choruses of Highway to Hell, YMCA and Pink's I'm Coming Out echo around the quaint Staffordshire market town of Leek each week. | The choruses of Highway to Hell, YMCA and Pink's I'm Coming Out echo around the quaint Staffordshire market town of Leek each week. |
| It is a playlist that has been carefully curated by the community, who have grown increasingly upset by language used by religious preachers. | It is a playlist that has been carefully curated by the community, who have grown increasingly upset by language used by religious preachers. |
| They have particularly homed in on songs that celebrate the LGBT community. | They have particularly homed in on songs that celebrate the LGBT community. |
| "I'm preaching love instead," says Ryan Smith, 21, who comes into town each week with his speaker, charger and collection of tunes. | "I'm preaching love instead," says Ryan Smith, 21, who comes into town each week with his speaker, charger and collection of tunes. |
| Ryan Smith says he has been fed up by the language the preachers use for years | Ryan Smith says he has been fed up by the language the preachers use for years |
| It started off as a bit of a joke, albeit one that was borne out of exasperation, after seeing the preachers shout their message in the town every week. | It started off as a bit of a joke, albeit one that was borne out of exasperation, after seeing the preachers shout their message in the town every week. |
| He posted on a local Facebook page saying he would invite people to share a coffee with him while he played music over the preachers in protest. | He posted on a local Facebook page saying he would invite people to share a coffee with him while he played music over the preachers in protest. |
| It got hundreds of likes and comments. | It got hundreds of likes and comments. |
| "It's just blown up," he says. | "It's just blown up," he says. |
| Dozens of people have pitched in with song suggestions and praised him for his mission. | Dozens of people have pitched in with song suggestions and praised him for his mission. |
| "It's borderline hate speech," he says, describing homophobic and transphobic launguage the preachers have used. | "It's borderline hate speech," he says, describing homophobic and transphobic launguage the preachers have used. |
| He says others in the town remember it being an issue as far back as the 1980s. | He says others in the town remember it being an issue as far back as the 1980s. |
| Alan Howard (middle) says he found God on a trip to California at the age of 35 | Alan Howard (middle) says he found God on a trip to California at the age of 35 |
| Alan Howard is one of the preachers who travels in to the town centre each week. | Alan Howard is one of the preachers who travels in to the town centre each week. |
| He believes preaching "is the air that he breathes" and he will do it until the day he dies. | He believes preaching "is the air that he breathes" and he will do it until the day he dies. |
| What does the 77-year-old make of Mr Smith's musical protest? | What does the 77-year-old make of Mr Smith's musical protest? |
| "I feel sorry for them, really, because they are spiritually blind and all they actually do is cause more attention to the message we are bringing to people," he says. | "I feel sorry for them, really, because they are spiritually blind and all they actually do is cause more attention to the message we are bringing to people," he says. |
| His group were often accused of being hate preachers, he says, but he insists they are not "coming from there" and were "coming with the love of God". | His group were often accused of being hate preachers, he says, but he insists they are not "coming from there" and were "coming with the love of God". |
| "Nothing or no-one will ever stop preaching - no law will ever stop me preaching," he adds. | "Nothing or no-one will ever stop preaching - no law will ever stop me preaching," he adds. |
| Georgina Arapi says customers at her cafe have commented on the preachers | Georgina Arapi says customers at her cafe have commented on the preachers |
| Georgina Arapi has been running Café Apollonia for six years and has an outside seating area where her customers enjoy pleasant weather. | Georgina Arapi has been running Café Apollonia for six years and has an outside seating area where her customers enjoy pleasant weather. |
| She says the preachers have stood outside her business with a megaphone. | She says the preachers have stood outside her business with a megaphone. |
| "Customers were coming in saying that they didn't like them there, they disagreed with what they had to say and they found what they were saying hateful," she says. | "Customers were coming in saying that they didn't like them there, they disagreed with what they had to say and they found what they were saying hateful," she says. |
| Ms Arapi says she started to notice a decline in people wanting to sit outside. | Ms Arapi says she started to notice a decline in people wanting to sit outside. |
| She got in touch with police, who asked the preachers to avoid the premises. | She got in touch with police, who asked the preachers to avoid the premises. |
| 'Sin of nature' | 'Sin of nature' |
| A lesbian, who asked to remain anonymous, says she had been subject to abuse from the preachers. | A lesbian, who asked to remain anonymous, says she had been subject to abuse from the preachers. |
| She says: "I've been with my partner and because I am gay they have come full bore at me saying 'it's against God's will, you're a sin of nature and you shouldn't be here'. It's horrific." | She says: "I've been with my partner and because I am gay they have come full bore at me saying 'it's against God's will, you're a sin of nature and you shouldn't be here'. It's horrific." |
| She adds: "I get religion, I'm a Catholic myself, but there is a time and a place for it." | She adds: "I get religion, I'm a Catholic myself, but there is a time and a place for it." |
| She now avoids the town centre on days the preachers are there. | She now avoids the town centre on days the preachers are there. |
| Councillor Bill Cawley, cabinet member for communities at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, says he had first heard of concerns in 2022 when he was the mayor of Leek. | Councillor Bill Cawley, cabinet member for communities at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, says he had first heard of concerns in 2022 when he was the mayor of Leek. |
| "As a long-term resident of the town, I have always appreciated the tolerance and friendliness of the town," he says. | "As a long-term resident of the town, I have always appreciated the tolerance and friendliness of the town," he says. |
| "The words of the preachers jeopardised that tradition." | "The words of the preachers jeopardised that tradition." |
| Causing a nuisance | Causing a nuisance |
| Staffordshire Police said it had not had any complaints about the preachers since August 2023. | Staffordshire Police said it had not had any complaints about the preachers since August 2023. |
| The council has released a code of conduct for people who wish to busk or preach in the town centre. | The council has released a code of conduct for people who wish to busk or preach in the town centre. |
| It encourages people to report any individual or groups believed to be causing a nuisance. | It encourages people to report any individual or groups believed to be causing a nuisance. |
| The authority can then advise further and decide whether a community protection notice needs to be issued. | The authority can then advise further and decide whether a community protection notice needs to be issued. |
| A spokesperson said the council had not received any complaints. | A spokesperson said the council had not received any complaints. |
| In the meantime, Mr Smith says he will continue his protest. | In the meantime, Mr Smith says he will continue his protest. |
| He also plans to get t-shirts printed for people to wear in support of his campaign. | He also plans to get t-shirts printed for people to wear in support of his campaign. |
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